• Careers

Faster @Global acquisitions are adding mightto opportunities in digital

CV, says RattshNair, Co-founder ofdigital media firms

and Ad Magnet. Aftercompleting his postgraduation from IlM-C. ~he worked with O&Mand Euro RSCG andgot his first brushwith destiny in 2000when he took up ajob with digitalagency Mediaturf,before becoming anentrepreneur.

These efforts mayappear to be at the fringe ofthe '{25,594-crore advertisingindustry, given that it has revenues ofjust '{2.851 crore. But the real news isthat this is unleashing the biggest tigeron the prowl, with growth rates ofover 50 per cent.

According to a recent report byInternet and Mobile Association ofIndia (IAMAl) and research fmn IMRB,digital spending is expected to touch'{4.391 crare in 2012/13. The growthis attributed primarily to the sustainedrise in mobile and Internet user pene-tration in India.

And it is not as if this segment is Ifull of aliens. "Most people who havedone well in the space are ones who

Most headhunters would averthat good careers often be-long to people who have

taken daring calls at the right time.Given that, it makes sense to analysedevelopments in the digital media seg-ment lately. Publicis Groupe, theFrench communications and mediaagency multinational. acquiredResultrix. an Indian performancemarketing agency with a global foot-print. UK-based Aegis Media snappedup Communicate 2. Integrated com-munication agency JWT has taken amajority stake in Hungama Digitaland buzz is that Interpublic Group isclosing in on Interactive Avenues.

The last five years have. in fact,been peppered with instances of largeadvertising and media networks ac-quiring independent digital companies,the most significant being wpp's acqui-sition of Quasar in 2007.

"With the growth that digital me-dia has seen. big advertising networksare hungry for inorganic growth andwe are likely to witness many suchdevelopments in this category." saysDev Raman. Managing Partner atLastaki. a boutique investment bank-ing firm which was behind the acquisi-tion of Indigo Consulting by LeoBurnett India and COImnunicate 2.

So. what should one make of thesedevelopments from a career perspec-tive? "Career in digital media is aspace that is now being likened to

have worked in traditional media."says Purvi Sheth. CEO. ShilputsiConsultants, an executive search firmthat has also been involved with manypre and post acquisition talent transi-tion in the digital media space.

However, the key, according toSheth. for people who are making atransition from an independent set upto a larger communication group istheir adjustment to. perhaps, workingin a ·silo·. "In an outfit driven by entre-preneurial steak that is dominated bythe drive of founders. people mostlyfind recognition in doing all kinds 0

:}roles," says Sheth. This could be difTer-® ent in a larger group, where roles couldbe more structured.

However. the ilip side of this couldbe the reward where the organisationrecognises this initiative and allowspeople to incubate and nurture similarother businesses.

For inspiration, consider the careertrajectory of Tushar Vyas, ManagingPartner at GroupM. who heads theentire digital media mandate for wpp

Group in South Asia. After his engi-neering degree and postgraduate di-ploma in ManagementCommunications from Mudra Instituteof Communications, Ahmedabad(fI.,flCA). Vyas, 37, began his career as amedia planner with Fulcrum in 1998.He then transitioned to the digital unitfor MindShare in 2001: "I was inter-ested in the space and soon was head-ing the segment," he says. He has over200 people, including the Quasarteam, reporting to him.

Typically, digital media has beendriven by those who have the entre-preneurial streak and are led by theirinterest: "Most big companies that areacquiring are doing so largely for the

4- brand and equity that independent:!:J units have built over time but also,

especially. for the people who haveknowledge of the space." saysLastaki's Raman.

In any case, most of these acquisi-tions have been driven by the ability ofpeople to actually develop business.

: "There is a latent need among largeragencies to find people who not onlyunderstand the digital needs of clients,

.?1l but are able to generate more suchUJ demand," points out Raman. The inde-

endent agencies, on the other hand.eek partnerships with traditional com-

Ashish BhasinChairman, India, and CEO, South

East Asia, Aegis Media

"Larger networks havethe ability to provideopportunities and weknow how much the

marketers want digitalto be part of any

marketing activity"

What toExpect

SENIOR-LEVEL

25-50MID-LEVEL

15-25JUNIOR-LEVEL

6-10Figures are salary ranges in ~ lakh/annumSource: Industry estimates

munication networks as they are al-ready central to any marketing conver-sation with the client.

The large agency network bossesare clear about the objective as well."The whole idea is to nurture the eco-system and actually get the winningteam on board that has made a difTer-ence in the space." says Ashish Bhasin,Chairman, India, and CEO, South EastAsia. Aegis Media. Digital is the sweet-spot for the advertising industry andaccording to Bhasin almost everythingis part of the digital space.

Whichever way one looks at thenews, the implications are good."Larger networks have the ability toprovide opportunities and we knowhow much the marketers want digitalto be part of any marketing activity,"says Bhasin.

At any rate, a stint with digitalmedia helps any aspiring marketingprofessional today: "It is embarrassingif you do not understand some of thebasic language and its implicationsthat is growing around the space," of-fers Ad Magnet's air.

While the understanding of thisindustry is still growing, so is thedemand for professionals. The industryis looking for people who are interestedand are open to roles involving clientinterface - pretty much like clientservicing and also acquiring business."It is not that radically difTerent, just anew segment that is constantlychanging and demands that youchange and respond to people whopost their reactions and needsinstantly," says Nair. He shouldknow, he has been there and donethat. And the bottom line is that this isone area where. clearly, the demandfor people exceeds supply .•